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Barcodes in the Food Service Industry

Food and barcodes don’t mix. Or do they? While putting a barcode on individual slices
of bread isn’t particularly practical, the foodservice industry relies on barcodes
at every step of the supply chain.

Like other fields, foodservice requires rigorous tracking of inventory and distribution.
A dynamic barcode system has multiple applications for today’s foodservice companies:

Tracking the distribution of food shipments as they move from warehouse to final
destination

Recording expiration dates on individual shipments

Tracing contamination that originates off site

Reducing invoice discrepancies

Eliminating waste due to over-purchase of products

Developments in barcode technology permit on-demand printing with thermal transfer
or thermal printers. Labels can even be printed
right in the kitchen for product trays or opened packages. Meanwhile laser marking
can be used to place a barcode directly on the skin of fruit and vegetables.

The foodservice industry has specific, voluntary guidelines for
labeling. Some barcode systems are “closed loop,” meaning that they are
for internal use only. Closed loop systems need not adhere to GS1 or UPC standards.
On the other hand “open loop” barcode systems, that is, those that will be used
externally, must meet GS1 and UPC guidelines. The Foodservice GS1 US Standards Initiative
governs several aspects of barcodes used on food products:

Location identification: Each manufacturer, operator, and distributor must have
a Global Location Number (GLN).

Global data synchronization: GS1 has built an open platform, the Global Data Synchronization
Network®, so that companies can access and retrieve uniform data.

The GS1 Standards seek to rectify the lack of uniform standards across the foodservice
industry. The disparities in weight measurement and the variability of product counts
makes uniform coding a challenge. Furthermore local suppliers are often unaware
of barcoding standards altogether. The lack of a system that bridged those gaps
long proved an obstacle to uniform labeling.

Thus the GS1 US formed. This coalition consists of 55 domestic and international
foodservice companies, including Tyson Foods, Inc, Nestlé Professional, and Darden
Restaurants, that have committed to adopting common standards. Currently 45 members
already comply, and the group hopes for 75% US compliance by 2015.

Adopting these guidelines across the industry will certainly streamline every step
of the supply chain, from physical distribution of products to database management.
Manufacturers, distributors, and operators can access accurate information from
anywhere in the world, eliminating errors and reducing duplicated work. Ultimately
barcodes offer a simple solution to the
unique challenges of the foodservice industry.